QHA_March 2018_Electronic_s

NEWS
THE AWARDS CONTINUE
QHA REVIEW | 12
Since starting in March 2016, Balter Brewery on
the Gold Coast has won a bunch of awards for
their beer and operation. Last year they took out
Best International Pale Ale at the AIBA (Australian
Independent Brewery Association) Awards as well as
Champion Medium Size Brewery and Best Newcomer
(rookie of the year).
Well, they can add to that list of awards their XPA
taking out the #1 slot in the GABs Hottest 100. So,
what are the GABs you might say? Created in 2011 by
Steve Jeffares and Guy Greenstone, the guys behind
The Local Taphouse beer temples and Stomping
Ground Brewery & Beer Hall in Collingwood, the event
was originally known as the Great Australian Beer
SpecTAPular. It was designed as a celebration of craft
beer diversity and creativity.
Fast forward a few years and it has become a whole
lot more than that. The event now showcases the
best Australian and New Zealand craft breweries
and cider producers. Up to 180 ‘Festival Beers
and Ciders’ are made just for the event. Along with
that there is entertainment, outstanding local food
vendors, interactive exhibitor stalls, and food and drink
education. Renowned American magazine, wThe Beer
Connoisseur, in fact listed the GABS as one of the top
20 beer festivals in the world in 2015.
Each December, GABS also runs the influential Hottest
100 Craft Beers of the Year poll which sees thousands
of beer fans from all over Australia and New Zealand
vote for their favourite beers of the year. The results
are counted and celebrated across the country each
Australia Day (for the Aussie poll) and Waitangi Day (for
the Kiwi poll).
For Balter, not only did they take out #1 spot for their
XPA, every single one of their canned beers made it
into the top 100. All of that speaks to a consistency
that head brewer Scott Hargrave and his team of
brewers work towards day-in day-out and signals the
emergence of this increasingly popular brand of beer.